Club Connection Venue Tour

Cancun Cantina in Baltimore MD

2009-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Before I moved to Tennessee, I was a elementary and middle school band teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. A friend of mine and her husband started going dancing every Wednesday and Sunday night at Cancun Cantina. Eventually there was a group of five of us that went every Wednesday the summer before I moved. I guess in my mind I was preparing for my big move to Tennessee but little did I know that people really didn't walk around in cowboy hats and line dance at every music venue like they do in the movies. Go Figures!
When I started working with Club Connection I was shocked that my favorite dance club was not on our list and it was a personal goal to get them on board. So when I drove to Baltimore for Christmas and just HAD to stop it the Cantina. Walking back into the first club I ever tried line dancing in after almost a year of digesting dance community etiquette I was shocked to feel a lot less intimated and much more willing to try new dances.

Here is a picture of myself and the manager Roy. Thankfully I was smart to take this picture BEFORE I danced all night.
Back in December of 2006, the Cantina had a horrible fire and was forced to close for remodeling. The new dance floor and updated decor really gave the club a fresh look.
I was there on a Saturday night which is live music night and there isn't as much structured line dancing, but we danced anyway.

(Thank you Ryan Photography for these pictures)

(These are some of the ladies I go dancing with)

This club has been so successful for a number of reasons. My friends like it because there is a country side and a Hip Hop side. Those of them that are fed up with the structure of line dancing, cross over to the hip hop side. Our guy friends like the waitresses.....

Thank you Charlie and Roy for a great time at one of my favorite clubs!

Whiskey Dicks, Columbus Ohio

2008-12-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

(November 23rd) I woke up Sunday morning in Indianapolis with barely enough time to get out of the hotel and get a seat at a local bar & grill for the kick off of the Titans' game. I was the ONLY person in Titans' apparel and routing for my (at the time) undefeated team. I was a confident and unwavering fan even in the mist of their jeers and taunting. As my luck would have it we lost for the first time all season. UGH!

From there I headed to Columbus, Ohio to meet Greg Leffel at Whiskey Disks. I knew that visiting on a Sunday night was not going to be the best time to see the true colors of the club but I thought I could at least use the time to get to know Greg and the staff at Whiskey Dicks.

As I was coming into town I decided to swing by one of our other Columbus Country clubs, Screamin' Willie's. Unfortunately they are not open on Sundays so I was unable to meet my contact DJ Lunatik.

Though it was a Sunday night and the bar was no where near max capacity, I think it was one of my more successful visits. I was able to sit down and actually become friends with the staff and hand out CDs, hats and T-shirts to bar guests. Here is a picture of Greg Leffel and I chatting over a beer.

I really liked the feel of the club. It wasn't a significantly large venue and didn't have room for much organized dancing but it had a very friendly and country/rock n' roll feel to it. When you walk in the bar is immediately in front of you and the stage is down a step and over to the right. Behind the bar is a mini tattoo parlor. I was floored by this because in my experience combining tattoos and alcohol is not a good idea but Greg reassured me that intoxicated patrons are not permitted to go in the tattoo parlor. Good Call!

My intention was to stop in the club, sit and talk with Greg for about an hour or two and head back to the hotel. Well I made a few friends and two hours turned into four or five! Check out some of the people I met while I was there.

Thank you Greg, Adam, Anna and Dave for a very entertaining and memorable trip to Columbus. Please come and see me in Nashville soon!

JJ Jam 2008 and 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis

2008-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

(November 22nd) After a great night in Fort Wayne, I headed back down to Indianapolis for the 2008 JJ Jam. I made it there just after their lunch break and had just enough time to take a few dance lessons. Below is a clip of Karen Hedges teaching STEP RIGHT UP, a dance written by Dancin' Dean. The music is "Step Right Up" by Cactus Choir.

Next I stopped in to Junior Willis's class to learn his line dance to Matt Steel's song "Back To Me". Matt Steel was scheduled to perform for the group later that night and decided to stop in and learn the line dance with us.
Below is a clip of a different intermediate/advanced dance written by Junior Willis. DANCE ALL NITE was choreographed to "All Nite (Don't Stop)" by Janet Jackson.

Other choreographers there were Jamie Marshall, John Robinson and Joanne Brady. Thank you for letting me stop in and say hello! For more line dance events, but sure to check out the events section of the Club Connection website.

When the dancers took a break for dinner I met up with my old roommate, Caroline, who drove down from Michigan to meet me. We went to dinner and then headed over to 8 Seconds Saloon.
From the outside of the club, Caroline and I were taking bets on whether is used to be a bowling alley or ice skating rink. Upon further investigation, he found that it was in fact a bowling alley years ago. The inside was tiered down from the DJ booth to the large dance floor and then down to the stage. Below is the floor plan of the club, notice the massive dance floor!

Tremors is a Hip Hop Club behind 8 Seconds

Caroline and I settled to the left hand side of the dance floor ready to jump on the floor when we were compelled to learn a dance (which was often). We were so impressed with how wonderful everyone was. Caroline and I would not call ourselves dancers, so us on the dance floor may not have been a great idea, but everyone was so patient. I've been to a number of clubs now where regulars seem annoyed when new dancers get in the way but I never saw one dirty look or eye roll.
Here is a clip of dancers enjoying our new single "Cheater Cheater" by Joey + Rory.

When DJ Justin Meitl wasn't too busy, I met him at the DJ booth for a few pictures.

Here are a couple of pictures of Caroline and I with a few new friends! Thank you for making us feel so welcome!

Adam Gregory at Neon Armadillo in Fort Wayne, IN

2008-11-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

(November 21st) Last weekend was the longest road trip I've been on so far. I left Nashville around 10 am and was fully stocked with plenty of music, red bull and snacks. I drove straight through Louisville and Indianapolis and headed right up to Fort Wayne Indiana.

By the time I finally got to my hotel I had to rush to get ready and meet Tony Rafiei for dinner and then head over to Neon Armadillo for Adam Gregory's show! Below is a clip of Adam singing "Crazy Days".

Dave Michaels from K105 introduced Adam and raved about his acoustic performance in the studio earlier in the day. In fact, I spoke to a number of the club patrons throughout the night and everyone was thoroughly impressed with Adam's voice, his band and his polite and kind nature.
After the show Adam posed for pictures and signed autographs.

Justin the DJ took over when the band packed up and headed towards Michigan for their show the following night. At that point I hung out with the owner, Tony until we wrapped up the night. Thank you Neon Armadillo for a very fun evening!

Austin City Saloon and Coyotes in Louisville

2008-11-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

AUSTIN CITY SALOON

Last Friday I loaded up my car and drove through the rain and wind to Lexington, KY to visit Austin City Saloon. Momma Tish was at the front door to greet me. I instantly decided that if I lived in that area I would end up at that bar every week. The crowd is made up of predominately college students and young professionals. I felt right at home and jealous that I don't have a bar like this in my neighborhood.

Here is DJ Chris Slater in his booth making sure that in between band sets, Club Connection music was being played. Thank you for all your help and feedback.

http://www.myspace.com/austincitysaloon

COYOTES LOUISVILLE

Saturday I drove over to Louisville, KY to see DJ D.C. at Coyotes, which is part of City Block. We had an absolute blast. There are multiple clubs in one. Vinnie's hits from the 70's, 80's and early 90's, The Rock-It Club plays top 40 dance music, Losers is a karaoke bar, The Fox Den is a biker bar, The List is a hip hop club and then there is Coyotes which is of course a country dance club.

Here are a couple pictures of D.C., my good friend Matt and myself upstairs in the DJ booth over looking the dance floor.

D.C. did a GREAT job playing Club Connection music and getting dancers on the dance floor. Here is a clip of a full dance floor having fun with Matt Stillwell's single "Shine".

D.C. even tested our BRAND NEW single the Joey + Rory King Mix of "Cheater Cheater".

Coyotes is open until 4am and with six different clubs there is plenty to do! What impressed me the most about City Block was that all six clubs would easily be successful as a stand alone club but are even more successful connected. Even though each club tends to draw in their own unique crowd, club goers travel through each club without a noticeable culture clash. I spent the first portion of the night on the country side and then flip flopped between The List and Vinnie's. I loved that a cowboy in Wranglers and a Stetson can feel totally comfortable dancing to Kanye West on the rotating Hip Hop dance floor then walk across the hall and do the two step at Coyotes.

Thank you Austin City and Coyotes for a great weekend and I can't WAIT to come back!

From New Jersey to Denver!

2008-11-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took a much needed trip to Tunica with 15 of my friends to celebrate a few birthdays. Since I was too busy giving the dealers all my money, I was unable to visit a club. But since I have some very amazing friends at clubs around the nation, I decided to let THEM tell you a little about their clubs.

"The Colorado Café located in Watchung, NJ is the premier country western night club in the tri-state area. Dancers can dance line, partner and couple dances to the latest sounds on one of the largest dance floors on the east coast. The Café features country music on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and included in admission are dance lessons in all forms of country dance. The Colorado Café also features a full menu restaurant, pool tables, karaoke and Buck Off the mechanical bull." submitted by Georgeanne Valis

I thought this was an interesting YouTube clip about Colorado Cafe.

When I went to the Mishnock & Friends Dance weekend I met Wild Bill, who is a DJ at Colorado Cafe.

"Charlie's Denver, was founded in 1981 in Denver, CO. It was the first of 4 Charlie's in the country... Our locations include, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and Las Vegas... Much of the success of Charlie's go to our creators, Wayne Jakino and John King. Our Denver location is one of Colorado's best Country Western Bars with all the top country music...and some of the best DJ's... DJ E-N & DJ Malcom. our friendly bar staff will always be available to get you the perfect beverage. We also feature a Club Level, that includes all of the top dance music, w/ DJ Giggles and we also have a huge outdoor patio with another great party out there... At any time, any day of the week, there's always a party at Charlie's. For more info, visit www.charliesdenver.com or call 303.839.8890" Submitted by Jonathen Pedersen

Thank you to both Georgeanne and Jonathen for providing a little glimpse into their country dance club!

Matt Stillwell at The Coyotes in Augusta, GA

2008-11-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Apparently Augusta Georgia is only supposed to be 5 hours and 45 minutes from Murfreesboro, TN but on a rainy Friday evening it actually took about 7 hours. By the time I swung by my hotel to change and made it over to the club, I was certain that Matt Stillwell would have been well into his first set and Jeff Allen, the Coyotes DJ, would be too busy to talk. As I walked into the club Matt was just getting on stage. I hadn't missed a thing! I claimed my table and went on a search to find Jeff. Meeting Jeff was like catching up with an old friend. He showed me around and introduced me to the owner and bartenders. Below are a couple of pictures of the bar, bartenders, Matt Stillwell Merchandise and CatDaddy Moonshine!

Coyotes ran a Mason Jar Promotion to help us advertise Matt Stillwell's show. If guests brought in their own mason jar, they would get their first drink free. This was a great idea considering the bar was littered with CatDaddy moonshine! All the bartenders had on CatDaddy T-Shirts and there were table tents with CatDaddy drink recipes and posters all around the club.

Coyotes draws a great local crowd that appreciates new country and sings along with old classics. They were the perfect crowd for a Matt Stillwell show. Matt isn't just a country singer, he is an entertainer, and the Coyotes crowd was loving every minute of it. Once everyone had a couple mason jars of CatDaddy mix drinks the dance floor filled up!

After the show Matt stuck around to talk and party with his fans and new friends. Not many entertainers that take the time to establish a relationship with their fans the way Matt Stillwell does and it clearly makes a difference.

Below is a clip of some of the highlights of the night. I came home from Augusta with over 60 minutes worth of video from Coyotes. I was impressed with every song Matt sang and with how much the crowd loved watching him preform. But I can't post 60 minutes of video so my good friend Brian Cecil at briserv.com Digital Media was so kind as to edit it down to this manageable clip.

Thank you Matt Stillwell for putting on a great show and for partying with DJ Jeff Allen and myself. I loved hanging out with Ashley, the best bartender I've ever known, and all my new friends at Coyotes. I hope to come back real soon!

Wild Bills Atlanta

2008-10-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

While I was in Georgia for the Matt Stillwell show at Coyotes, I stopped into Atlanta on the trip home to see Wild Bills. This is the most contemporary trendy country club I think I've ever been to.Below is the lobby of the club where they check your ID.
The hallway wraps around to the entrance of the main club and concert venue.There are a number of bars and VIP seating around the club and then a large dance floor and stage.

The night before, Tracy Lawrence preformed at the club and brought in nearly 5,000 guests. The club was completely full and I heard from guests and bartenders that is was a rockin' party. The night I was there a local band called 35 Cent Rodeo played. They are a cover band that has a strong following at Wild Bills. Below is a clip of 35 Cent Rodeo singing "His Kind Of Money" by Eric Church.

The mechanical bull, pool tables, Wild Bill's Wild Girls, and a great crowd are the reasons that Wild Bills is rated the best Country Club in Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal Constitution several years in a row.
I'd like to thank Dwight Philpott, the Wild Bill's DJ, for supplying promotional pictures and for all his musical feedback.

Mishnock & Friends Country Dance Weekend

2008-10-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

I headed to the airport early Friday morning with a suitcase full of clothes and a bag loaded down with CDs and promotional material to pass out. I had no idea what I needed for a Country Dance weekend so I literally packed half my wardrobe. This was the one time that my habit for over packing was extremely helpful.
After two very tiny planes and 4 hours of down time in the Philadelphia airport, I made it to Stewart Newburgh in New York. As we flew over Newburgh I was absolutely mesmerized by the orange, red and yellow tree tops that covered the mountains like a warm quilt.
I was met in baggage claim by Bob holding a "Michnock & Friends" sign. We took a few scheduled and unscheduled detours until we finally made it to Hudson Valley Resort in the Catskill mountains. As we walked in the door I was completely shocked. The lobby was transformed into a dance hall and the room was swarming with dancers and the sound of boots stomping and voices laughing. I will admit I was intimidated. I would not call myself a line dancer though I secretly have dreams of quitting my job and becoming a touring line dancer.
I put my things in my room, grabbed my little handy video camera and raced back to the lobby. As I returned to the lobby "Good Time" by Alan Jackson was playing so everyone in ear shot of the song was on the dance floor. I was seriously impressed.
I made my way around the room beginning to put a face with the voices of contacts Club Connection has made over the years. Everyone knew each other and I understood why it was called Mishnock & Friends. Most of the dancers were from New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York and travel to Kerhonkson twice a year for this particular dance weekend. This is a picture of Dan Albro and myself in the lobby of the hotel.
After dinner, all 600 hundred dancers scrambled for seats in the theater for the dance instructor's demonstrations. Instructors and choreographers do a quick demonstration of the dances they are going to teach so that dancers can schedule the lessons they want to attend.
There were seventeen instructors present ready to teach over forty different dances. Here is a clip of all the instructors demonstrating Dan Albro's dance "Teddy Bear Squeeze" to the Keith Anderson song "Somebody Needs a Hug."

After every instructor demonstrated their dances, there was open dancing on all seven dance floors and karaoke in the lounge. Since I had not learned one single dance yet, I stayed in the karaoke lounge. I met new friends from Silver Spurrs Country Line Dancing and talked with them until it was time to turn it. We had a long day of dancing a head of us and we needed to get to bed early.
By 8am sharp, I was shuffling through my bag trying to decide the logical selection of jeans, t-shirt and comfortable shoes. After breakfast I was in Debi Pancoast's warm-up class nervous and excited about the day.
I started the day off learning an intermediate line dance called Learning to Fly choreographed Christopher Petre to the Jordin Sparks song"One Step At A Time." I don't know really why I thought I could skip the beginner dances and go right to intermediate but I assume my years of Jazzercise paid off. I actually did quite well. Here is the clip of the dance demo from Friday night.

That lesson ended at 9:45am so I got some water and walked out of Ballroom C to the lobby for the 10am Dan Albro lesson. This dance was a little easier and is one from the weekend I actually still remember. Boot Camp was choreographed by Dan and the music is by Lady Antebellum "Love Don't Live Here."

Directly after that I headed back into Ballroom C for a packed class of Sugar Lips choreographed by Junior Wills and John Robinson. I loved this dance so much that I took the lesson again later in the day to make sure I retained what I learned.

Next I stopped in Stompin' Sue's class where we learned Murphy's Law. I was shocked at how quickly I was learning these dances. Each teacher was so patient and clear in their instructions that someone as clumsy as me could even learn them.
After my forth lesson in a row where I literally gave it 100%, I was in need of a shower. After lunch I was ready to learn a few more. I stayed out in the lobby and learned two more Dan Albro dances and then reviewed the Wills and Robinson dance. By this point I couldn't feel my toes and my thighs were screaming at me. I took advantage of the 5-6pm happy hour and decided that it was more important to shower and rest then eat dinner.
I made it back down to the theater for the last portion of the instructor skit that I hear was very funny.
The rest of the night included open dancing and karaoke. By the time we had to pack up and leave on Sunday I was totally worn out but sad to leave such wonderful friends.

The Following pictures include:Bobbe Morhiser, DJ Wild Bill, Stompin' Sue, Vicky Gilbert, Lyndy, Louie St. George, Junior Willis and John Robinson.

Minutes before I drove back to the airport I was still dancing. This was the last dance of the weekend with John Robinson and Joanne Brady leading Oh Suzannah by Yamboo choreographed by Bill Larson and Chris Watson. Thank you all for a wonderful time!

Kickers

2008-10-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to check out Kickers in Clarksville, TN. I have two dance instructor friends that teach there and I have heard wonderful things. My trusty new dance partner and I left Murfreesboro around 5:30 for the hour and a half trip to Clarksville. Our plan was to get up there early and have dinner. That plan was quickly thrown out the window when traffic came to a complete stop on highway 24. Apparently a tractor trailer wrecked and 500 to 1000 gallons of ethanol spilled out on the highway. We sat there for hours! I was not a happy camper. Finally we made it to the club around ten. I was hoping to be there when they opened at 8 to see the larger line dancing crowd but that was not possible. Cindy greeted us at the door and was happy to see that we finally made it! After she introduced me to her friends, we made our way upstairs to meet two of the four owners, Chad and Renee. It was wonderful being able to speak directly to them both and get a feel for the passion they have for this club. We talked about up-coming live shows and common line dancing friends. After almost thirty minutes of chatting, I went back downstairs to take a couple spins on their beautiful dance floor.

The club is really three venues in one. There is a large country dance club, a hip hop club and a little karaoke bar. Though we popped our heads in the hip hop and karaoke bars, they were no where near as impressive as the country side. Unfortunately, by the time I got there the crowd had already started to thin out. Clarksville is home to Fort Campbell, a US Army installation, and is home to the 101st Airborne Division. Troop deployment has affected the clubs population but they look forward to seeing their crowds swell again soon. Here is a video of some of the regular line dancers doing two different dances to Suspicious Minds.

After I tried my very best to teach my friend the Cha Cha, with no luck I might add, we met our new favorite bartender/cook Shawnna. She honestly makes the best fried potatoes I've ever had! We ended up sitting with Shawnna and talking with her for most of the night. Her pleasant smile and fun demeanor made us feel like one of the regulars!
When the band took its second break, the DJ was able to squeeze in Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band. There were many tapping toes and bobbing heads.

On our way out of town the next day we swung by the club. It really is a huge building! Thank you Kickers for a great night!

What a GREAT review!! Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the link to my website!!!
You're the best!!
Cindy

Cotton Eyed Joes

2008-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I started the first ever Club Connection Venue Tour! The purpose of this tour is to create a stronger relationship with club owners, DJs and Dance Instructors as well as gain footage of club patrons enjoying our music. I decided to stay relatively local and head north to Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, TN. To avoid being that weird girl who goes to clubs alone with a video camera, I convinced two of my good friends to make the trip with me. Shannon, David and I got to Knoxville just in time to clean up, have dinner, watch the rest of the Vandy game and head to Joe's around 9:30 or 10:00pm.

Jackie Hicks was at the front door
supporting the Tennessee Vols and ready for a great night at the hottest country club in Knoxville! The club is equipped to be a source of entertainment for any consumer. Besides having a huge dance floor they also have a Mechanical Bull, two bowling lanes, in-house roping ring, pool tables, dart boards and video games.Their DJ, Billy, plays a great mix of new and classic country as well as mixing in hip-hop and pop dance favorites. Dancers range from young to old and beginner to advanced, but all have a good time every week at Cotton Eyed Joe.

After we met Jackie and Billy we claimed our seats close to the dance floor, got our drinks and made friends with neighboring tables. Though my friends were easily convinced into making the trip, they were not as easy to get on the dance floor!

I was going to be on my own when it came to learning these line dances. About 15 minutes after we got there our Matt Stillwell single "Shine" was played! I jumped up and grabbed the video camera I bought only two hours before, scrambled to turn it on and started taping the dancers on the dance floor. It was still early and the club was no where near full, but the few people that were there immediately got on the dance floor and knew just what to do! Please disregard my unsteady camera hand, I need to work on that!
Here is billy in his DJ booth. It is a little hard to see because of how dark it was in there, but the booth is shaped like the front of a 18 wheeler truck. It was really cool! They also have all the outdoor security guards on horseback! I've never seen that before! Here is on of them by the back smoking deck (there is no smoking in the club).
We had a great time watching some of the experienced dancers put their own twist on a line dance. Here is a clip of our favorite dancer breaking it down to No Authority's "Can I Get Your Number". He kind of adds a couple robot moves...very cool!

We really had a great time at Cotton Eyed Joe and recommend that you stop in and dance with our new friends. Check out more pictures on our myspace page!
If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know! --Bobbe

********UPDATE********
Here is a comment from Jackie at Cotton Eyed Joe that I wanted to share with you!

Thank you for all the nice things you said about us. We really enjoyed having you here and thanks for all the cool stuff you send us. I will be sending you a list soon of all the events that are coming here we are booked through December.

Thank you once again.
Jackie